Sharing Stories of the Past
by btamamura
Summary: A Banana Splits fanfiction. The usual Sour Grapes Bunch trouble causes Drooper some upset. He admits it brought back unpleasant memories and soon, he, Fleegle, Snorky and Bingo share their own stories regarding the same topic: bullying. Warnings in chapter notes. Rated to be safe.
1. Prologue - Splits Confessions

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own the Banana Splits, they're the property of William Hanna and Joe Barbera. _

**Notes:** _**Once an idea hits as hard as this one had, it has to be written no matter what. Which is why you're about to read a multi-chapter anti-bullying fic featuring some characters from the 1960s. Warnings concerning each character's story will be featured in notes for those chapters. For this one, there might be slight OOC. Also, all of Snorky's speech is translated for your benefit.**_

_**This is friendship only. Enjoy!**_

Fleegle, Snorky and Bingo were watching through the window to see if Drooper would manage to outdo one of the Sour Grapes Bunch in a rope-wrapping contest. Unfortunately, the Sour Grapes' members had a habit of playing dirty or just outsmarting the Banana Splits, no matter who took them on one-on-one.

Fleegle covered his eyes as he'd seen an unpleasant sight concerning Drooper and part of the lion. "Is it over yet?"

"No. They've got more left. Looks like they've done it again. Hope it'll be easier to help him this time compared to untying that knot they left in his tail," Bingo remarked.

"Beep beep..." _**Poor Drooper...**_ Snorky couldn't help but murmur as things were wrapping up.

A minute later, the indoor Splits hurried to open the door knowing their friend wouldn't be able to at that moment. They moved aside and watched as Drooper hopped inside, his tail binding his torso; his hands were tied to his sides and his legs had also been bound together by his own appendage. "Need a hand?" Bingo offered.

"That'd be most 'ppreciated," Drooper replied. His tone sounded off though. The normally laid-back lion sounded angry.

Bingo chose not to comment on how his buddy sounded. "Okay. Where's the end?"

"There it is!" Fleegle exclaimed as he pointed it out. He untucked it from the part of the tail binding Drooper's left hand to his left hip. "You two help keep him standing while turning him slowly. Ready now? Go!"

Bingo and Snorky did as instructed and slowly spun Drooper around to help unwrap him from his long tail. "Beep beep!" _**Don't worry, it'll be done soon!**_

"I'd love to say 'can't wait', but with the length of my tail, I know it'll be a while," the lion responded with evident bitterness in his tone. He made sure to emphasise on _length of my tail_ to let his friends know he wasn't cross with them, he was cross about how long his tail was.

Still, Fleegle almost froze when he heard Drooper's tone; he'd never heard the lion sound like that before. _Okay, so I'm not imagining it. Something is really bothering our pal, but what? It's got something to do with his tail, that much I know._

A couple of minutes passed, and a slightly dizzy Drooper found himself finally unbound. He picked up his tail, glared at it and flung it over his shoulder. "Knew I shoulda had ya shortened. You're nothin' but trouble."

"Something bothering you there, Droop?" Fleegle asked.

"Yeah. But, I don't wanna talk about it right now. I'll be in my room if ya need me." He started heading to the stairs, then turned to look back to his friends. "By the way, thanks for helpin' me."

The other three watched him leave. Bingo then turned to Fleegle. "We're not just gonna ignore this, are we?" he asked once sure the troubled lion was out of earshot.

"Course not! Drooper just needs a few minutes to calm down first, that's all," the canine responded.

"Beep, beep-beep." _**Maybe it's just me, but Drooper hardly ever gets angry, right?**_ Snorky questioned.

"Nope, not just you. The only times I can specific-ally recall seeing him angry are when I saw him struggling to put out the trash - but that was more frustration than anger - and then there was the time Bingo and I were playing jump rope."

"Beep beep." _**Why'd he get angry about that?**_

"Because we...uh...tied one end of the rope to his tail without him knowing."

A lightbulb went off in the gorilla's mind, just as he was sure the beagle's own head-lightbulb had switched on. "It all comes back to his tail. It'd be frustrating having to carry one so long just to avoid it being stepped on or tripped over, whether by him or someone else," he pointed out. "Being tied up with it must've been the last straw."

Fleegle became a little more concerned at the realisation. "Something's not right here. Come on, fellers, let's go see our buddy. I think we really need to talk about this with him."

Drooper was still glaring at his tail. "Give me nothin' but trouble, you do." He heard a knock on the door and sighed. "I said I don't wanna talk about it, Fleeg!" He surprised himself with the slightly harsh tone he just used on one of his best friends.

Fleegle was also a little surprised, but he stood his ground. "It'd be better if we did. There's something more bothering you and we wanna try to help you with it."

He sighed again, this time in resignation. The canine was correct about there being something other than just his tail's length bothering him. "Alrighty then, come on in."

The door opened and the other three Splits entered the lion's bedroom. Fleegle sat on the bed beside Drooper, making sure to mind his friend's tail. As for where the other two sat, Bingo situated himself on a beanbag chair in the nearest corner of the room while Snorky sat on the chair near the lion's desk. "We know there's something bothering you about your tail, but it's more than that, ain't it?"

Trust his friends to catch on. "You're right, Fleeg. Truth is...when I was a cub, I was given a hard time 'bout it. Today wasn't the first time someone used it as a rope to tie me up."

That explained it; Drooper had been bullied about his tail when he was younger. "Would you mind telling us about it? In exchange, I'll share my story too."

"Your story?"

"I was given a hard time in my puppyhood too."

"Beep!" _**Same for me!**_

"Me too," Bingo added.

Drooper was a little surprised to hear his friends had also dealt with bullies in their younger years; what could have brought theirs on? He nodded; not because he wanted to hear their stories of the past, but because maybe sharing his would help lift the weight off his shoulders. "Well...okay then. It all started on my very first day at school." Drooper hung his head and closed his eyes as he started recounting the unpleasant memories of his cubhood. He could still feel his friends were there, and that granted him the courage to speak openly.


	2. Chapter 01 - Drooper's Tail

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own the Banana Splits, they're the property of William Hanna and Joe Barbera. _

**Notes:** _**Nothing mentioned is canon. May contain OOC. Sorry for possibly butchering Drooper's accent.**_

_**"Are ya excited 'bout your first day?" Drooper's mother asked him as she held his paw and walked beside him.**_

_**The cub shrugged. He was a bit excited, but he wasn't eager enough to run ahead. His exceptionally long tail had been flung over his shoulder to keep it from being accidentally stepped on; he'd already learned the hard way how much it smarted when he stepped on it himself that very morning.**_

_**"Oh, look! We're here! Come along, son, I'll take ya to your classroom."**_

_**He nodded. "Okay, Ma."**_

_**It started out normally with kids getting to know their teacher and each other. Some kept to themselves due to being shy, and that was okay too.**_

_**"Hey, you!" a five-year-old boy called as he approached Drooper. "What's that thing on your shoulder?"**_

_**"My tail," he replied calmly.**_

_**"But, tails aren't on shoulders. They're on bottoms."**_

_**"So's mine."**_

_**"But, you said it's on your shoulder."**_

_**"It is."**_

_**The boy was confused and getting frustrated. "What are you talking about?!"**_

_**The lion cub finally got how the boy standing before him was getting a bit muddled. He picked up the end of his tail and dropped it to the floor. "It grows where it should. I have it on my shoulder so it won't be stepped on."**_

_**Two girls playing nearby noticed the lion cub's long tail. "A jump rope! Let's play!" one of them exclaimed. They hurried over and tried to take what they thought was a skipping rope. They were met with some resistance. "Hey! You're standing on it!"**_

_**"That's not a jump**_ **ROPE!****_" The last word came out louder because they tugged so hard it actually hurt. "Let go of my tail! It hurts! Ooch! Let go!"_**

_**The teacher heard the commotion and hurried over. "Girls, stop! You're pulling poor Drooper's tail!"**_

_**The girls stopped immediately and looked to the adult. "We thought it was a jump rope," the same girl said.**_

_**"No, the jump ropes are in that corner over there, and only for outdoor play," the teacher informed as she pointed to where the skipping ropes were kept. "Now, be sure to say sorry to Drooper for hurting him."**_

_**"We're sorry we pulled your tail..." both girls whispered remorsefully.**_

_**Drooper had picked up his tail and flung it over his shoulder again. "It's okay." It wasn't really, but he could see the girls were sincere with their apology and chose to forgive them.**_

_**The boy was still there. "Wow, you have a real long tail!"**_

_**"Yeah, and it's not fun." Drooper turned to walk away, unaware the boy had flicked his tail off his shoulder. Two steps and he felt the same sharp pain he had that morning. He looked down and saw he'd stepped on his tail. He picked it up and flung it over his shoulder once again.**__ How'd it even get off?_

_**Later that day, the teacher had organised a race for her students to take part in. She even had a prize for first place. **_

_**Drooper felt confident he could win; he was a very fast runner with the right motivation, and a prize worked well for that.**_

_**Unfortunately, once the race had started and he took the lead, the same boy from earlier in the day grabbed his tail and held him back long enough to gain the leading position. He dropped the cub's tail, not caring where it landed.**_

_**Drooper certainly cared though since two other boys stepped on his tail. As he tried to pick it up while still running, he tripped over it. He felt quite upset at the turn of events. He didn't cry, but he did decide at that moment he really hated having such a long tail.**__ I thought my eyes were bad, but my tail is the worst!_ _**He adjusted his sunglasses and watched as the race ended without him.**_

_**"How was school, son?" Drooper's father asked on the way home.**_

_**He didn't want to talk about school or his disaster of a first day; no new friends and only a sore tail to remember it by. "Pa, why's my tail so long?"**_

**_"I'm sure ya just need to grow into it like those clothes your granny gave ya last Christmas."_**

_**"What if I don't?"**_

_**"Don't see why ya wouldn't. I did. Did somethin' happen today?"**_

_**He decided to finally tell his father about his first day and what had happened. He chose not to blame anybody else so his recollection sounded like it was all a series of accidents, even though it wasn't.**_

_**"Ya just need to be more careful, Drooper. That's all."**_

_**The next day wasn't much better. His tail would always somehow wind up on the ground to be stepped on. It was barely lunchtime and he was already in a lot of pain.**_

_**The worst was to come though. Two older boys thought the long tail would be perfect for their little game. "Hey! Lion!" the tallest boy called. "Get over here!"**_

_**"Name's Drooper," he replied as he approached them. He would soon learn he should've kept his distance.**_

_**"Whatever. I'm curious about something. Just how long is that tail of yours?"**_

**_"_****Real** _**long."**_

_**"I can see that! But, how many times could you wrap it around yourself?"**_

_**"Dunno. Never tried."**_

_**"Can we?"**_

_**"Eh? Um...I'm not..."**_

_**The shorter boy already held the cub's tail.**_

_**"Hold on, I didn't say ya could!"**_

_**The taller boy had his hands on the cub's shoulders. "Didn't say we couldn't." He started spinning Drooper around while his friend controlled the tail.**_

_**Soon, poor Drooper had his hands bound to his sides and his legs bound together. "Okay, now ya know." The bell rang. "Y'all can untie me now."**_

_**"Can't. Gotta go to class. Later!" They ran off laughing.**_

_**He struggled against the bindings. No good. "Come on, fellers, I gots to get to class too!"**_

_**"And then, the wolf said..." The teacher saw the cub's head poke through the doorway. "Drooper, you're late back to class."**_

_**He started hopping into the room. "Sorry, Miss, I gots all tied up."**_

_**"That's no excuse, young...what happened?!" She dropped her book and hurried to his aid, seeing he really had been tied up. "This is your tail, isn't it?"**_

_**"Yup."**_

_**She heard the class start laughing at what they found to be a funny sight. She was less than pleased. "Children, this isn't funny. Tying Drooper up was something very mean to do." She helped the cub get unfurled gently, knowing his tail was still very sensitive from that morning. "Do you know who did this?"**_

_**"Two bigger boys."**_

_**The five-year-old troublemaker appreciated the older boys' creativity. Looked like he had a new game to play with the cub's tail.**_

"All my school days were the same. My tail would be knocked to the ground for folks to step on, pulled on to slow me down in the middle of a race or used to tie me up. I asked my folks if I could have it shortened, but they kept on sayin' I needed to grow into it. Instead, the taller I got, the longer it got. To be honest, I was surprised nobody done said nothin' 'bout me always wearin' sunglasses since my eyes are sensitive to light. Nope. Always the tail seein' as it could be used against me. I was five when I decided I hate havin' a long tail. What five-year-old hates somethin' 'bout themselves?" He let out another sigh; he seemed to be doing a lot of that through the day. It did feel good to get it off his chest. It didn't change the past, but it did get it out of his system.

"Well now, it's no wonder you sounded so bitter when that Sour Grape did that. Probably took you back to the not-so-good ol' days," Fleegle commented.

"Yup. Felt like the gullible cub tied up at school again and again and again. Good thing it's so flexible though, or it would've been a Mega-Ooch the way my tail was looped." He felt a paw on his shoulder and finally opened his eyes and looked up at his friends; he could see Bingo's usual grin had faded to a frown of concern, and Snorky's trunk and ears drooped a little. He then turned to Fleegle and noticed the serious expression on his canine friend's face along with the sympathy in his dark eyes. He appreciated the concern his friends expressed.

"Well, it's my turn now. It's only fair."

"Ya sure, Fleeg? Ya don't have to..."

"I said I would. Besides, guess it's about time I told you fellers the truth about my puppyhood."

"But, you never told us anything about it," Bingo commented.

"Right. That's why I'm gonna tell you the truth, the whole truth and nothin' but the truth. Hard as it may be." It was his turn to close his eyes and draw strength from his three best friends. He felt Drooper's paw on his as it still sat on the lion's shoulder and opened his mouth to finally speak of his past.


	3. Chapter 02 - Fleegle's Lisp

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own the Banana Splits, they're the property of William Hanna and Joe Barbera. _

**Notes:** _**Nothing here is canon. I have a headcanon Fleegle is the youngest of five puppies. Contains someone being made fun of for a speech impediment. May also contain OOC.**_

_**"Hi there! My name's Fleegle, and I'm a beagle! Fleegle Beagle!" They were laughing. The puppy couldn't understand it. He just introduced himself and they started giggling. "What's so funny?" The laughter came louder and harder. "Was it something I said?" More laughter. He frowned and went to find his mother. "Mama!"**_

_**The mother beagle paused in her conversation with the mother of one of the many children. "Excuse me, please; my youngest pup is calling." She got to her feet and approached her son. "Is something wrong?"**_

_**"I said hello and told them my name like you told me to and they started laughing. Then I asked why and they kept laughing. Why are they laughing when I talk? I'm not telling jokes."**_

_**"I don't know, Fleegle." She did, but she didn't want to tell him it was because of how he spoke. He'd had the same difficulty at home for a time, but she managed to sort out his brothers and sisters before things got out of hand. As far as her youngest pup knew, there was nothing different about how he spoke. "Maybe try saying hello to some other kids. Those children you were talking to might've been busy."**_

_**"Okay, Mama." He padded away and looked for someone else to say hello to. He found two girls and a boy. "Hi there, my name's Fleegle, and I'm a beagle! Fleegle Beagle!" he greeted cheerily.**_

_**"Say it, don't spray it!" the boy responded.**_

_**"Huh? Did I do something wrong?"**_

_**"Ugh! You did it again! Geez, don't stick your tongue out and talk! It's rude!"**_

_**"But, Mama said it's okay because dogs tongues stick out."**_

_**"Again?! Okay, we need raincoats to be around you."**_

_**"No, just don't go near him until he learns to talk right," one of the girls commented.**_

_**"Good idea." He turned to Fleegle and stuck his tongue out. "See you." He made sure to mimic Fleegle's unique lisp.**_

_**Soon, the puppy stood alone, wondering if he'd done something wrong. "Was it something I said?" he repeated.**_

_**That night when he went to get a glass of water, he could overhear his parents talking about something. It wasn't long before he could tell the discussion was actually about a some**__one__**.**_

_**"Kids laughed at him?" his father asked.**_

_They're talking about me!_ _**he quickly realised. He forgot about his feelings of thirst and instead chose to listen to what they were saying.**_

_**"He asked me why, but I just couldn't bring myself to tell him. It was bad enough with his older siblings, but I could take care of that easily. I can't tell all of the children at school or at the park not to make fun of him."**_

_Mama does know why? But, she told me she doesn't!_

_**"Even so, dear, we can't keep it a secret. Somebody will point it out to him sooner or later; they could be kind or harsh with their words. Either way, he'll feel betrayed his own parents didn't tell him about his lisp."**_

_My lisp? What does Papa mean?_

_**"Honey, he'll be so heartbroken to know kids laugh at how he talks. It might even stop him from talking. He's usually such a cheerful and chatty pup; it'd break my heart to see him become quiet and withdrawn just because of some cruel children."**_

_So, it's not what I said, but it's how I said it..._

_**"Mine too, dear. He's the friendliest and most open of all of our children. I can't bear the thought of him being closed-off." **_

**_His ears drooped and he sighed softly. He noticed his parents jumped a little at the sound and realised he wasn't quiet enough to keep them from knowing he'd heard everything._**

_**"Who's there?"**_

_**"Just me, Papa." He entered the room and approached his parents. He looked up at his mother. "Mama, if you knew why they were laughing, why didn't you tell me?"**_

_**She shook her head. "I'm sorry, Fleegle. I just couldn't bring myself to tell you."**_

_**"It's because of how I speak, right? This...lisp?"**_

_**"I'm afraid so, dear."**_

_**"Why do I have it? Is it because of my tongue? A boy said I stick my tongue out when I talk." He looked to his father. "Papa?"**_

_**"The truth is, son, your tongue is a little longer than it should be. That's why it often sticks out especially when you make 's' sounds. There's nothing wrong, you're still a healthy puppy. You're just a little different."**_

_**"Well, I don't wanna be different! I wanna be able to speak and not have kids laugh at me or say they need to wear raincoats around me when I talk!" His frustration faded and was replaced by sadness. His dark eyes shone with unshed tears. "I wanna talk like you. Like Mama does. Like my brothers and sisters. Is there anyway to make me talk normally?"**_

_**His parents exchanged looks. "We can try a speech therapist," his father suggested. "In the meantime, dear, you'll need to inform Fleegle's teachers of this issue so we can at least try to stop any bullying."**_

_**The puppy's tail wagged slightly in hope that everything would be alright. "Will a speech therapist help?"**_

_**The older male beagle looked to his son again. "It might take a while, but they usually can."**_

_**The wagging stopped. "What if it doesn't?"**_

_**"Even if it doesn't, you're still our little Fleegle and we love you."**_

_**The next day in class, Fleegle was called on. "Yes, Miss?" The laughing started again. He didn't say anything and made his way to his teacher's desk, his ears drooping slightly.**_

_**"Your mother informed me of your lisp and the difficulties you may face because of it in regards to the other children. I gave her a list of speech therapists who had helped some of my past students with their own speech impediments. She also reminded me you can't help sticking your tongue out so don't worry, I don't think you're being cheeky. I do feel a need to speak with the class about this so I can help them be more understanding about the way you talk. Is it okay with you if I do?"**_

_**"Will it make them stop laughing at me when I talk?"**_

_**"It might. If anybody continues to make fun of you, please feel free to let me know."**_

"Unfortunately, it didn't work out as hoped. If anything, having my classmates more aware of it made things worse. I wasn't just laughed at, I was mocked. Kids would choose to mimic my lisp whenever I was nearby, or they'd exaggerate it. I went through a lot of speech therapy, but nothing changed; my lisp is still the same as it was back when I first learned how to speak. I was on the brink of going mute, just as my folks feared would happen thanks to the bullying." He felt Drooper's paw squeeze his comfortingly and looked up. His eyes shone with sadness, but he was smiling slightly. "The only reason I didn't was because I met you fellers. You didn't laugh when I introduced myself, which already helped me feel a little comfortable. You smiled, but it wasn't mocking; it was to let me know I was welcome among you. My folks are actually thankful to you for being the first to not snicker as soon as I spoke, as am I." He let out a breath he wasn't aware he was holding. "So. That's my story."

The other three hadn't quite realised what a difference they'd made to Fleegle's life on the day they met him and became his friends. To think he was that close to being anything other than the cheerful canine they knew and loved. "Well hey, Fleeg, we have enough clutter in our own closets 'cause of somethin' 'bout us. Like we'd laugh at ya just 'cause of the way ya speak. Only times we'd ever felt it necessary to start laughing at somethin' ya said was if it was intentionally funny," Drooper commented.

Bingo nodded. "Seems we all have reason to be thankful for meetin' each other, especially after all the teasing and mocking we'd been dealt with. No way we'd ever dish that sort of stuff out to each other."

"Beep-beep. Beep. Beep-beep beep." _**At least, not intentionally anyway. Still, we do know our limits before things go too far.**_

Fleegle nodded. "Yeah, I know."

The elephant straightened, though his trunk twitched with slight anxiety about finally talking about his most distressing time in his youth. He inhaled deeply, and exhaled slowly. His ears drooped a little and his eyes closed. "Beep beep." _**I'll tell my story next.**_ Another deep breath and he could feel his friends offering support silently. That was all he needed to summon the courage to begin telling his story.


	4. Chapter 03 - Snorky's Speech

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own the Banana Splits, they're the property of William Hanna and Joe Barbera. _

**Notes:** _**Nothing here is canon. My headcanon is Snorky had a weak larynx when younger which made it hard to speak, but it grows stronger as he gets older. May be OOC, and contains someone with a speech difficulty being harassed.**_

_**"Okay now, Snorky. Say**__ ahh__**," the doctor requested of the elephant calf.**_

_**Snorky opened his mouth so the doctor could check his throat. He was unable to say**_ _ahh_ _**and instead let out a honking sound from his trunk.**_

_**"No no, not that. I need to see if your voicebox has any problems."**_

_**Understanding his usual**_ _beep_ _**wouldn't be satisfactory, he tried making a sound come from his throat. Unable to still produce**_ _ahh_ _**sounds, he just rasped.**_

_**The pediatrician let out a few sounds of his own as he examined the calf's throat. "I see..." He pulled back. "Good boy, Snorky. You can close your mouth now." He walked a couple of steps until he was able to sit in his seat. He looked to the concerned elephant cow holding her son. "I'm afraid there is a problem with his larynx, Mrs. Elephant. It's not too severe though."**_

_**"Is it the reason why he can't talk?" the mother asked as she tightened her hold on her son slightly.**_

_**"It is."**_

_**"Is there a way to treat it? Medication? A procedure?"**_

_**"I'm afraid not. It's something that needs time to be taken care of through natural means, and I don't mean homeopathy. I mean leave it be and things should work out. I'm sure there will come a day when he'll be able to speak. For now, all he really can do is honk out of his trunk."**_

_**"But...but, we can hardly understand him at all if he just honks. He's supposed to start kindergarten tomorrow; how will his teachers and the other children understand him?"**_

_**"Can he draw or write?"**_

_**"We have been teaching him how to write so he can use that as a form of communication for us. But, if the children are unable to read, they'll still have difficulty understanding him."**_

_**"What of body language? Sometimes that works better than verbal communication, even to small children. Even they'll be able to understand friendly gestures like waving to say hello."**_

_**"Yes, he knows that too. He used that before he could honk."**_

_**"Then there should be little issue. Just make sure to inform the staff of his condition so they're aware verbal communication is difficult for little Snorky." He turned slightly and picked up a jar. He opened it, reached into it and pulled out a lollipop. "Since the examination is now over, I have a little treat for you, Snorky. You've been very well-behaved, so you deserve this lollipop."**_

_**Snorky had been told not to take things from others without asking his parents for permission first, so he looked up at his mother and pointed to the lollipop. "Beep beep."**_ _Can I please have it, Mama?_

_**The older pachyderm smiled softly and nodded. "Yes, you can have it, Snorky. Well done for asking first."**_

_**The calf used his trunk to take the sweet from the doctor's hand. He was beaming. "Beep!"**_ _Thank you!_

_**The doctor smiled in return, knowing the calf was thanking him. "You're welcome. I hope you have a good day at kindergarten tomorrow."**_

_**He nodded, still beaming.**_

_**The next day, Snorky stood with his mother as she explained Snorky's communication issues. He watched the faces of the two adults he didn't know and saw them smiling kindly. Well, at least they were understanding about it.**_

_**The woman who'd introduced herself as Snorky's teacher spoke up. "It's a shame he can't speak, but I'm sure we'll all find ways to understand his other means of communication. Please don't worry, Mrs. Elephant, we'll help him fit in with the other students."**_

_**The mother elephant appeared relieved. "Thank you very much." She turned to Snorky and leaned down to hug him while using her trunk to stroke the top of his head. "Be a good boy, okay? I'll be here to pick you up later. I love you, Snorky."**_

_**He reached his trunk up and hooked it with his mother's, a way he'd found to say**_ _I love you too, Mama_ _**without words.**_

_**She pulled back from the embrace. "I'll see you later, Snorky." She waved her trunk as she started to walk to the door and continued to until she was out of her son's line of view.**_

_**The principal took that as his cue to head back to his office.**_

_**Snorky's teacher knelt down, still smiling kindly. "Would you like to meet some of the other children?"**_

_**He nodded. "Beep!"**_ _Yes, please!_

_**"Alright then." She got to her feet and offered her hand for the calf to hold.**_

_**He accepted the offer with a grip of his own and walked beside her into the classroom where children were playing or showing the assistant teacher something they had.**_

_**"Beep beep..." he murmured as he shook a little.**_ _There are a lot of kids here..._

_**The assistant teacher looked up and spotted them. She excused herself and told the children surrounding her to go play before class started. She approached the head teacher and the calf beside her. "Is this our newest friend?"**_

_**"Yes, this is little Snorky. He's unable to speak, so he uses writing, drawing, body language and honking to communicate."**_

_**"Oh, the poor dear." She crouched down to the calf's height to appear less intimidating. "Hello there, Snorky."**_

_**"Beep!"**_ _Hello!_ _**He waved his greeting with his trunk.**_

_**The honk got every child's attention. "Was that a car?" a little girl asked.**_

_**"Sounded like the horn on my trike," her friend responded. She had been drawing when Snorky honked in greeting and had been startled, causing her to jump slightly. "My picture!"**_

_**The teacher smiled patiently. "Looks like a good time to introduce him," she murmured as she released Snorky's hand and clapped hers twice to let the children know it was time to listen to her. "Children, we have a new friend joining us." Once all eyes were on her, she gestured to the calf currently half-hiding behind her legs. "Children, this is Snorky. Say hello to him."**_

_**"Hello, Snorky!" the children chorused.**_

_**Snorky smiled and waved his trunk. "Beep!"**_ _Hello!_

_**"That's what beeped earlier..." a small boy commented.**_

_**The girl who had been drawing wasn't happy. "Hey! You made me mess up my picture!"**_

_**Snorky looked down and shuffled his feet. "Beep..."**_ _I'm sorry..._

_**"You should say you're sorry!" the girl's friend exclaimed.**_

_**"He did. Snorky can't talk like everyone else. His beeping is how he talks, and the way he was moving was showing he was saying sorry," the teacher explained.**_

_**"Why can't he talk?" the still-fuming drawing girl asked. "Didn't he learn?"**_

_**Snorky hung his head and his ears drooped. It wasn't like he hadn't been learning words, he just couldn't say them.**_

_**"Is he still a baby?" her friend added.**_

_**Sure, in his species he was a baby, but his age equalled that of the children he was with.**_

_**"He should not beep; it's rude and it's loud and it's scary!" Drawing Girl demanded.**_

_**Snorky thought the same of her. He also thought of how much he wanted to be home with his mother and bake with her until his father came home. He looked up and shook his head. "Beep beep!"**__ I can't help it!_

_**"Miss, make him stop! I don't like it! Make him talk normal!"**_

_**"Now, I've already told you he can't talk," the teacher reasoned patiently.**_

_**"Yes he can! He just doesn't want to! He just wants to beep and make me mess up my drawings!"**_

_**"Come now, you're being very mean to Snorky. He didn't mean to startle you earlier."**_

_**The girl let out a 'humph!' and decided to stop arguing before she got herself into trouble. She looked to her friend. "We'll make him talk. I'm not letting him beep anymore," she whispered.**_

_**Snorky sat in the sandbox and was working on a sandcastle. None of the other children wanted to play with him, but he was fine with playing alone; he was used to it due to being an only child. As he used a plastic shovel to flatten the top of his masterpiece, a shadow fell over him. He looked up and saw the two mean girls from that morning. He felt wary at the sight of them.**_

_**"Hey, Longnose! You really can talk, can't you?" Drawing Girl asked.**_

_**He shook his head and curled in his trunk, not appreciating the new nickname.**_

_**"Really? Well, I can and my friend can too. Everybody can, so you should be able to. You only say you can't to be annoying."**_

_**He shook his head again.**_

_**"Liar! I'm gonna prove it by making you talk!"**_

_**He slightly unfurled his trunk so he could communicate. "Beep beep. Beep beep."**_ _The doctor and my parents can't. How can you?_

_**"Stop!**_ **Beeping!****_" She looked to her friend. "Hold him." She waited until her friend did as ordered, then approached Snorky and his sandcastle. She lifted her foot off the ground and positioned it over Snorky's almost finished masterpiece. "If you don't talk like normal, I will smash your sandcastle. Say your name, and don't beep it."_**

_**He opened his mouth to try to speak, but again only rasped out a very quiet sound.**_

_**"Well? I'm waiting..."**_

_**He squeezed his eyes shut and tried his hardest, but nothing happened. He shook his head. "Beep!"**_ _I can't!_

_**"You beeped! Well then, bye-bye sandcastle!" She stomped on it then jumped on it thrice for good measure. Seeing the tears in the calf's eyes didn't make her feel the least bit remorseful. "You deserve it for beeping and ruining my picture!"**_

_**He squeezed his eyes shut as tears leaked from them, unfurled his trunk to its straightest point and let out a very loud, high-pitched, squealing **__beeeeeep!__** as he wailed over his work being destroyed.**_

_**The girls ran away before the teacher arrived to see what was the matter. They considered themselves safe since it wasn't like Snorky could say it was them who'd made him so upset.**_

"Beep. Beep-beep, beep. Beep-beep-beep. Beep, beep." _**It didn't stop there. We wound up going to the same primary school and they'd torment me to get me to talk nearly everyday. They even got their friends in on it. I couldn't even go to secondary school; their methods were getting dangerous so my parents had me homeschooled starting halfway through primary school. It was hard to enter the real world after all of that, and if I hadn't met you fellers, I'd still be living with my folks.**_ He opened his eyes and only then realised his body was trembling lightly from the memories he'd unlocked. He saw his friends were all wide-eyed in shock that such a thing had happened to the youngest Split.

"Wow, and I thought _I_ had it rough! Was your life really in danger?" Drooper asked. There was a quiet fury in his voice that was directed to those who'd hurt his little brother.

Snorky nodded sadly. "Beep beep. Beep." _**One attempt at getting me to talk left my left arm in a cast for two months. That was a tamer one too.**_ He shuddered some more. "Beep-beep." _**I'd rather not give you nightmares, so I'd prefer not to talk about the one that resulted in me being homeschooled.**_

Fleegle felt a tremor run through his body, and wasn't sure if it was Drooper's, his own, or their combined fury at what had been heard.

Bingo appeared a lot more calm than the canine and lion, but he still felt rather angry himself. "Gosh, Snorky, that's terrible. You don't have to tell us anything more if you'd rather not."

"Agreed. Saying what you already have must've taken a lot of courage," Fleegle added. He was impressed with himself for not allowing his growl to come through his words.

The pachyderm nodded. "Beep beep. Beep, beep-beep beep." _**Aside from my folks, you're the first I was able to talk to about it. Not just because others don't understand me, it's just been too hard to even think about.**_

"It would be. Thanks for trusting us enough to share it."

"Beep! Beep!" _**Of course I do! You're my best friends!**_

After everyone had calmed down following a couple of minutes of silence, Bingo spoke up. "My turn now. Hearing what I have from you guys makes me feel like mine's not as bad as what you went through. It still bothered me back then though." He kept his eyes open and looked to each of his friends as he opened his mouth and started to share his story. Unlike the others, he didn't feel a need to draw courage from the others. Still, he appreciated the support they offered from their expressions alone.


	5. Chapter 04 - Bingo's Appetite

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own the Banana Splits, they're the property of William Hanna and Joe Barbera. _

**Notes:** _**The only canon written here is Bingo being a big-eater; it's mentioned in the Annual. Contains possible OOC and people commenting on someone else's weight, including 'fat jokes'. Because I don't know much about any eating disorders, I kept the story from going that far. I can understand self-consciousness about eating in public as I am the same way.**_

_**"Can I please have some more, Ma?" the infant gorilla asked as he held out his plate.**_

_**"Well, of course you can." Bingo's mother was always happy to oblige when her son requested another serving of her cooking. "You are a growing boy, after all."**_

_**"Come now, stop spoiling him. This is his fifth helping already. He needs to learn he can't always eat so much." The father gorilla looked to his son. "You're starting school tomorrow. You won't be able to eat as much there. The food in the cafeteria has to last to feed everyone, and if you do what you do at home, there won't be enough."**_

_**"But, Pa..."**_

_**"Not buts, Bingo. You need to learn to control that appetite of yours. Finish that serving and that's all until dessert. For dessert, you can only have one serving."**_

_**"**_**One**_**?!"**_

_**"Yes, one. I'm putting my foot down."**_

_**He sighed and agreed to his father's conditions.**_

_**The next day, he'd only been allowed a regular-sized breakfast so his stomach grumbled loudly through most of class.**_

_**A young boy sitting across from him looked up. "Be quiet."**_

_**"I can't help it. I'm hungry." He wished he could have a snack to help ease the hunger pains until lunchtime, but it was still an hour before recess.**_

_**"How can you be hungry?! You look like you ate lots!"**_

_**Sure his stomach appeared a little larger than that of everyone else in his class. But, it was average for a gorilla his age. "I did last night. But, breakfast was small..."**_

_**"Must've been ginormous then, looking at you."**_

_**He looked down at himself and didn't see the problem.**_

_**"Now be quiet, Fatso." He returned to his work.**_

_Fatso? He thinks I'm fat?_

_**Lunch couldn't have come sooner. Despite having a snack for morning tea, his hunger pains were getting worse. He remembered his father's warning and agreed it would be fair if he only had one serving. Of course, his father didn't say how big it had to be, so he piled up his tray with pieces of fruit and cups of jelly, and requested a triple-scoop of the mac-n-cheese for lunch.**_

_**The children behind him were not impressed. "Hey, save some for the rest of us, Fatty! We're hungry too!" a slightly older boy exclaimed.**_

_**The cafeteria worker smiled, ignoring the fact a child had called another by a hurtful name. "No need to worry, we have plenty for everyone."**_

_**Bingo was satisfied upon hearing that and went to sit down at a nearby table. "Oh, boy! I can't wait much longer!" He picked up his fork and dug it into his pasta. "Time to dig in!"**_

_**"Geez, you're big enough already; you don't need to eat that much!" an older girl commented with disgust in her tone as she saw the piled-up tray.**_

_**"Yeah, I do. I'm starving," he replied.**_

_**"It's only gonna make you fatter if you eat that."**_

_**"I'm not fat. My doctor says my weight is normal."**_

_**An older boy sitting near the girl scoffed. "Yeah. Normal for someone who ate everything in the supermarket."**_

_**"I haven't done that." For the first time in his life, Bingo found himself feeling offended.**_

_**"Could've fooled me. You look big enough."**_

_**He decided arguing wasn't going to do anything, so he just resumed eating.**_

_**"Look at him go! Soon, he won't be able to fit through the door," the girl remarked.**_

_**"Forget that; he'll soon be too big to fit in this room!" the older boy laughed.**_

_**As the jeers continued, Bingo suddenly didn't feel as hungry. If anything, he felt hurt and a bit confused about why they kept commenting on his weight. He looked at his food and felt a little ill at the sight of the mountain he'd asked for. The comments continued, and he could see the mountain growing larger with each insult.**_

_**"Oh look, he stopped. Maybe he's realised we're right about him being a chunky, chubby fatso."**_

_**He set his fork down and pushed his food away. "I'm not a fatso," he mumbled as he rested his arms on the table and his head on his arms. His appetite was completely gone. The only feeling he had was sorrow.**_

"After school, I went back to see my doctor to ask if I was actually overweight, and he confirmed I was in the healthy, average range for a gorilla my size. But, because I hated hearing the kids call me fat, I chose to regulate my meal sizes when in public. I still ate like usual at home, but it was like I barely had an appetite at all when out. Even family dinners in restaurants made me feel self-conscious. At first, Pa was happy I'd learned to control myself since he didn't know the real reason for it. He soon started wonderin' if something was wrong with me. I think he may have blamed himself cause of what he'd said to me the night before everything started, but he soon learned otherwise. One of my bullies was at the same restaurant and started their usual commentary. Once Pa heard it, he changed his mind and told me to eat as much as I wanted to and ignore everybody else. Nothing they said could change the fact I was healthy, and if a large meal made me happy, then so be it. It took a little while, but after that I stopped being so self-conscious about eating in public and learned to ignore the harsh comments; helped they weren't true anyway."

The other three stared at him in amazement. He'd said his story wasn't as bad as theirs, but from what they heard, things could've gone another, more tragic way.

"What is it?"

"You were able to overcome it, that's what!" Drooper exclaimed.

"Especially considering just how serious things could've been if they got out of hand. Comments like those dealt to you in school aren't uncommon, neither are the unfortunate consequences that follow," Fleegle remarked.

"Beep-beep, beep!" _**You said it wasn't as bad as ours, but it could've been much, much worse!**_

"That's why I said it's not as bad, but did bother me back then. You three need to find ways to overcome yours too," Bingo stated. "There has to be some way to do it, right?"


	6. Epilogue - The Tight Bunch

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own the Banana Splits, they're the property of William Hanna and Joe Barbera. _

**Notes:** _**Hey, you made it to the final chapter! Thanks for reading this fic, hope you've enjoyed it so far. This one focuses a lot more on the friendship and brotherhood of the Banana Splits. As for Snorky speaking a little, in a season two clip on youtube, he sings a little. In the Annual, one of the stories has him singing after drinking a drugged beverage (don't worry, just makes him a bit tipsy). The potential OOC and apology for possibly butchering Drooper's accent are still in effect.**_

"The teasing and mocking I heard does still bother me. But, thanks to you fellers, I'm not ashamed of how I speak anymore. That's probably best I can do," Fleegle commented. "My folks have said I'm probably more chatty now than I was before I knew about my lisp. I'm not even concerned with seeking out another speech therapy-ist."

"Beep beep. Beep beep beep. Beep-beep. Beep-beep beep..." _**I'm not as afraid of being out in the real world anymore. You three helped me find the courage not to be. You're patient and can understand what I'm saying most of the time. I still have a long way to go before I can talk as much as you can, but...**_ The elephant inhaled and opened his mouth. "Hello, my name is Snorky." He smiled. "Beep beep." _**At least I can say that much for now.**_

"Hey, that's wonderful, Snorky! Do your folks know?" Drooper asked.

Snorky nodded. "Beep beep, beep beep." _**My mother cried when she heard my voice for the first time, and my father almost fainted but managed to stay conscious and congratulate me.**_

"I bet it was a shock. So, at least you fellers have found a way to keep the past from botherin' ya as much as it used to." Drooper hung his head. "Ain't that easy for me though."

"Aw, come on now, Drooper. Surely there's something you can find positive about it," Fleegle tried to reassure.

"Hm, let me see now. Nope. Nothin'. My tail is still a burden I wish I didn't have, and it's still used against me."

"But, say one of us was on a limb jutting from a cliff and was about to fall and we need a rope to save whoever needs it. No rope, so..."

"Maybe, but it'd be quite an ooch."

"Maybe so. But, wouldn't it hurt more knowing you couldn't help one of your friends? Besides, the fans dig your tail."

"Yeah. Sure they do."

"No! Really!" Fleegle didn't know what else he could say to try to cheer up his lion pal from his funk. It seemed nothing was going to work. He let out a sigh.

Drooper turned his head slightly so he could still look at Fleegle without lifting his head. "What's wrong, Fleeg?"

"Oh, it's just...I'm trying to help you see the good points about your tail and you won't accept them. Listen, Droop, we like your tail too."

"Sure. As a jump rope extension." It had been a few weeks since that time, but considering his current mood, Drooper found himself feeling a bit miffed about it again.

Fleegle's ears drooped. "Sorry about that, we didn't realise you'd be upset by it. But, not like that. We like it because it's what makes you unique...makes you Drooper."

"Whaddaya mean?"

Bingo nodded. "My huge appetite makes me who I am. That's why Pa relented and told me to eat as much as I want."

"Beep beep." _**My folks embraced my honking because it's what makes me Snorky.**_

"And wouldn't you agree my lisp and lolling tongue make me the same Fleegle you know?" Fleegle asked.

Drooper slowly nodded. "Do y'all reckon that's why my folks kept sayin' no to havin' my tail shortened?"

"Could be. It's what makes you Drooper. Personally, I wouldn't want any of you fellers any other way. Maybe one day, you'll come to like your tail as much as we do."

"If you hate your tail, you hate part of yourself. That would certainly help you feel more miserable," Bingo commented.

"Right, and it has. We won't force you to like it right away. We just want you to be happy with who you are and what makes you who you are." Fleegle lifted his paw off of his friend's shoulder, and instead wrapped his arm around both in a comforting half-hug. "After all, you deserve it."

Bingo and Snorky moved from where they sat and joined the other two on the bed, still mindful of Drooper's tail. Bingo clapped a paw on Drooper's other shoulder, while Snorky used his trunk to remove the lion's hat and stroke his head comfortingly in a manner similar to his own mother.

Drooper looked to his friends, then back to his tail. "Maybe, fellers. Maybe one day I'll learn to love it, or at least like it. But, can y'all help me?"

"Natch! Don't you remember the first part of the Banana Splits Cheer?" Fleegle remarked. "Each fellow for all..."

"...and all for each fellow..." Bingo continued.

"...our loyalty never quits," Drooper concluded. He smiled for the first time that afternoon. "Thanks, fellers. At least I have pals like y'all to help me out."

"Of course, and you always will. It's a bit easier to like yourself if others like you," Fleegle commented.

"Really? Cause I always thought it was if ya don't like yourself, others won't."

"Oh, hush. We'll help you find the good qualities. Someday, you'll wake up and decide everything about you is something good. Even your tail."

Drooper knew it would still take a while before that day arrived. He also knew that with his friends by his side, that day would arrive. "Have I ever said how lucky I am to have all ya fellers as my pals?"

"No need to, Droop," Bingo replied.

"Beep!" _**Right!**_

The lion tilted his head curiously. "Why not?"

"Because we all feel that way about each other," Fleegle responded with a smile.

**End Notes:** _**There we go. You've reached the end. I'm not gonna beg for reviews, but if you want to let me know what you thought, please know you're more than welcome. Of course, please don't flame; instead, please leave constructive criticism so that I might do a better job next time.**_

_**The Banana Splits Cheer was used in the movie when Fleegle is trying to get the other three to stop being so scared of the potential danger they're walking into. The full cheer is...**_

_"Each fellow for all and all for each fellow_

_Our loyalty never quits_

_Everyone knows bananas are yellow_

_But not the Banana Splits!"_

_**Thanks again for reading. I do have more Banana Splits fanfics in mind that I plan to work on in the near future; one actually follows this and deals with Fleegle making peace with his oldest sister.**_

_**Later, all! Thanks once again!**_


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